Sweden edges USA at Espirito Santo, Aussies 14th

Sweden has edged out Team USA for their third Espirito Santo trophy following a tense final day of the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship at Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche in France.

The Swedes and USA both finished on 13-under and were only able to be separated by a one stroke difference in non-counting scores between Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist on 1-over 73 and America’s Rachel Kuehn on 74.

Team Australia ahead of the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in Paris (Credit: IGF)

Germany and Japan tied for third place on 12-under while the Australians dropped three shots in the final round to fall from 9th to 14th place in the final wash up.

Western Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley lead the way for the Aussies in a tie for 21st place and nine shots adrift of equal leaders Meja Ortengren (Sweden), Helen Briem (Germany) and 2020 US Women’s Amateur, Rose Zhang (USA) .

“I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been really good,” Rudgeley said after her round. “It’s my first World Amateur, but I think the girls have done pretty well. It was an awesome two golf courses but they’re pretty tough. Good luck to the boys.”

“I haven’t got a lot coming up in the next few months but I’ll hopefully have the Asia-Pacific Amateur (to be played in Thailand in October) and the Aussie Open.”

Next up for the Australians will be the trio of Connor McKinney, Hayden Hopewell and Harrison Crowe, who will fly the Aussie flag at the World Amateur Team Championships beginning on August 31 in Paris.

Australia last won the Eisenhower Trophy in 2016 when Cam Davis, Harrison Endycott and Curtis Luck crushed England, Austria and Ireland to secure the Gold Medal in Mexico.